Police: Spat about underwear left on floor ends with stabbing

Two Rockland residents were stabbed in their home Wednesday, following an argument over underwear that was left on the floor, police say.

George Gilmore, 32, was arrested shortly after the incident on charges of Class A elevated aggravated assault and Class B aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Gilmore is being held at the Knox County Jail awaiting his initial court appearance Friday afternoon.

Gilmore allegedly stabbed a 33-year-old male and his 28-year-old girlfriend in the Knox Street apartment the three individuals shared with another adult and an unspecified number of children, Rockland Deputy Chief Chris Young said Thursday.

The male victim suffered serious stab wounds to his neck and back. Originally taken to Pen Bay Medical Center, the man was then flown by LifeFlight to Maine Medical Center in Portland, where police are interviewing him, Young said.

The female victim was treated and released from Pen Bay Medical Center on Wednesday, according to an initial release from Young. Only Gilmore and the two victims were home when the incident occurred, police said.

Gilmore has been living in Rockland for the last five months and is originally from Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Around midday, an argument erupted over underwear left on the floor of the apartment. Gilmore confronted the male victim about the underwear and the incident escalated, Young said.

An affidavit filed in Knox County Unified Court stated that when Gilmore yelled at the male victim to pick up the underwear he left on the bathroom floor, the dispute turned into an argument over Gilmore’s alleged treatment of a child living in the home, according to the Courier-Gazette.

The argument became physical, and Gilmore allegedly attacked the male victim. The female victim tried to pull Gilmore off her boyfriend, but he allegedly continued the attack until she said she was going to call the police, which is when Gilmore left, the newspaper report stated.

Police found Gilmore inside the bathroom of Dunkin’ Donuts on Main Street in Rockland, where he allegedly was attempting to dispose of evidence, Young said.

Gilmore was taken into custody at the Dunkin’ Donuts by Rockland police and Maine State Police, who had arrived to assist. He was then taken to Pen Bay Medical Center where he was treated and released for minor injuries.

Dunkin’ Donuts was closed for the remainder of the day Wednesday, as Rockland police detectives and detectives from the State Police Major Crimes Unit investigated the incident.